AGATE is a framework for modeling

Modeling language

A modeling language is any artificial language that can be used to express information or knowledge or systems in a structure that is defined by a consistent set of rules...

 computer or communication

Telecommunication

Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...

 systems architecture.

It is promoted by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement

Délégation Générale pour l'Armement

The Direction générale de l’armement, which could be translated as “General Directorate for Armament”, or DGA, is the French Government Defence procurement agency responsible for the program management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the French military.-Armament programs...

 (DGA), the French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 government agency which conducts development and evaluation programs for weapon systems for the French military

Military of France

The French Armed Forces encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force and the National Gendarmerie. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" . The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who...

. All major DGA

Délégation Générale pour l'Armement

The Direction générale de l’armement, which could be translated as “General Directorate for Armament”, or DGA, is the French Government Defence procurement agency responsible for the program management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the French military.-Armament programs...

 weapons and information technology system procurements are required to document their proposed system architecture using the set of views prescribed in AGATE.

AGATE is similar to DoDAF

Department of Defense Architecture Framework

The Department of Defense Architecture Framework is an architecture framework for the United States Department of Defense, that provides structure for a specific stakeholder concern through viewpoints organized by various views....

, promoted by U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

 or MODAF

MODAF

The British Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework is an Architecture Framework which defines a standardised way of conducting Enterprise Architecture, originally developed by the UK Ministry of Defence....

, promoted by UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). However, the fact that the AGATE reference is only available in French seems to limit its use to French weapons systems procurement.

Scope

AGATE defines architectural views for systems and systems of systems, covering:

• Stakes and objectives of the system
• Description of the related organizations
• processes and information flows
• Security requirements, in compliance with DGA
  Délégation Générale pour l'Armement
  The Direction générale de l’armement, which could be translated as “General Directorate for Armament”, or DGA, is the French Government Defence procurement agency responsible for the program management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the French military.-Armament programs...
  
   policy
• Services of the system, and traceability with operational needs
• Logical architecture
  Logical data model
  A logical data model in systems engineering is a representation of an organization's data, organized in terms of entities and relationships and is independent of any particular data management technology.- Overview :...
  
   of the system
• Physical architecture
  Physical data model
  A physical data model is a representation of a data design which takes into account the facilities and constraints of a given database management system. In the lifecycle of a project it is typically derived from a logical data model, though it may be reverse-engineered from a given database...
  
   of the systems, and hardware and software products used in this architecture
• Life cycle
  Product life cycle management
  Product life-cycle management is the succession of strategies used by business management as a product goes through its life-cycle. The conditions in which a product is sold changes over time and must be managed as it moves through its succession of stages.Product life-cycle Like human beings,...
  
   of the system

AGATE Views

An AGATE model is organized into 5 views:

• Stakes, Objectives, and context about the system
• Business architecture
  Business architecture
  A business architecture is a part of an enterprise architecture related to corporate business, and the documents and diagrams that describe that architectural structure of business...
  
  : describes organizations and Business process
  Business process
  A business process or business method is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks that produce a specific service or product for a particular customer or customers...
  
  es managed by the modelized Information system
  Information system
  An information system - or application landscape - is any combination of information technology and people's activities that support operations, management, and decision making. In a very broad sense, the term information system is frequently used to refer to the interaction between people,...
  
  
• Service-oriented architecture
  Service-oriented architecture
  In software engineering, a Service-Oriented Architecture is a set of principles and methodologies for designing and developing software in the form of interoperable services. These services are well-defined business functionalities that are built as software components that can be reused for...
  
  : describes the Services of the system.
• Logical architecture
  Logical data model
  A logical data model in systems engineering is a representation of an organization's data, organized in terms of entities and relationships and is independent of any particular data management technology.- Overview :...
  
   of the system
• Physical architecture
  Physical data model
  A physical data model is a representation of a data design which takes into account the facilities and constraints of a given database management system. In the lifecycle of a project it is typically derived from a logical data model, though it may be reverse-engineered from a given database...
  
   of the systems, and hardware and software products used in this architecture

Representation

The AGATE meta-model

Metamodeling

Metamodeling, or meta-modeling in software engineering and systems engineering among other disciplines, is the analysis, construction and development of the frames, rules, constraints, models and theories applicable and useful for modeling a predefined class of problems...

 is defined using a UML

Unified Modeling Language

Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...

 representation.

Visio

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio , formerly known as Microsoft Office Visio, is a commercial diagramming program for Microsoft Windows that uses vector graphics to create diagrams.- Features :...

 elements for the AGATE representation are provided by the DGA

Délégation Générale pour l'Armement

The Direction générale de l’armement, which could be translated as “General Directorate for Armament”, or DGA, is the French Government Defence procurement agency responsible for the program management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the French military.-Armament programs...

.

The French government is planning to port AGATE representation to Telelogic System Architect

Telelogic

Telelogic AB was a software business headquartered in Malmö, Sweden. Telelogic was founded in 1983 as a research and development arm of Televerket, the Swedish department of telecom . It was later acquired by IBM Rational, and exists under the IBM software group.Telelogic had operations in 22...

History

The first DGA initiative for a standardized French architecture framework was initialized in July 2001, under the acronym AMAC. The denomination was changed to AGATE in November of the same year.

• March 2004: Version 2.1
• December 2005: Version 3

See also

• Délégation Générale pour l'Armement
  Délégation Générale pour l'Armement
  The Direction générale de l’armement, which could be translated as “General Directorate for Armament”, or DGA, is the French Government Defence procurement agency responsible for the program management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the French military.-Armament programs...
  
  
• Department of Defense Architecture Framework (DoDAF)
  Department of Defense Architecture Framework
  The Department of Defense Architecture Framework is an architecture framework for the United States Department of Defense, that provides structure for a specific stakeholder concern through viewpoints organized by various views....
  
  
• NATO Architecture Framework (NAF)
  NATO Architecture Framework
  The NATO Architecture Framework is an Enterprise Architecture framework by the NATO derived from the DoDAF Enterprise architecture.The current NATO C3 System Architecture Framework v2 , issued by NATO in September 2004 provides guidance on describing communication and information systems...
  
  
• British Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework (MODAF)
  MODAF
  The British Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework is an Architecture Framework which defines a standardised way of conducting Enterprise Architecture, originally developed by the UK Ministry of Defence....
  
  
• OBASHI
  OBASHI
  The OBASHI® methodology provides a framework and method for capturing, illustrating and modeling the relationships, dependencies and dataflows between business and Information technology assets and resources in a business context....
  
  The OBASHI Business & IT methodology and framework

External links

• AGATE page on French Defense procurement website
• short presentation of AGATE on French Defense procurement portal